The Biggest Global Sports Events up to 2027
- Dee Momi
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Over the next couple of years, the international sporting calendar will be dominated by some of the greatest events on earth.
These aren't annual fixtures (bar one mention) - they're milestones, drawing the world’s attention, including millions of spectators, and billions in global viewership.
We’ve gathered the key details, along with a deeper insight into what makes each one special.
The World Games 2025
Dates: 07-17 August 2025
Location: Chengdu, China
Sports: 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 medal events including pétanque, dragon boat, breakdancing, parkour gymnastics, beach handball, muay thai, tug of war, freediving and lacrosse
Athletes: Around 4,000 from over 100 nations
Spectators: 500,000+ expected on site
Frequency: Every 4 years
For the very first time, the 12th edition of The World Games will take place in China, showcasing elite athletes in sports that live just beyond the Olympic spotlight, which aren’t typically featured.
From the grace of artistic roller skating to the intensity of ultimate frisbee, it’s a preview of what may one day enter the Olympic programme.
Cheerleading and powerboating will make their debut whilst bowling, artistic roller skating and water-skiing have been removed from the schedule.
Chengdu’s mix of historic charm and modern dynamism will provide an engaging stage representative of this distinctive event - with competitions being held across 27 venues, supported by two Athlete Villages.
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
Dates: 22 August - 27 September 2025
Location: Across various cities in England / United Kingdom with Twickenham hosting the Final
Format: Expanded from 12 in previous tournaments, this is the first Women’s Rugby World Cup to feature 16 national teams
Games: 32 matches in total
Spectators: Expected to attract over 500,000 across the tournament, with matches held in stadiums with capacities ranging from 8,500 to 82,000
Frequency: Every 4 years
England will host the largest Women’s Rugby World Cup in history, both in scale and reach.
The expanded format brings more nations into the spotlight, with a mix of established rugby powers and emerging teams making their tournament debut.
Matches will be staged across England, culminating in a Twickenham Stadium final expected to set new attendance records for women’s rugby.
This edition is positioned as a watershed moment for the women’s game, with unprecedented global broadcast coverage expected and an ambitious legacy programme aimed at inspiring the next generation.
The Ryder Cup 2025
Dates: 23-28 September 2025
Location: Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, New York, USA
Format: 12 players Team Europe vs 12 players Team USA
Matches: 28 total played over 18 holes
Spectators: 50,000+ per day on site
Frequency: Biennial (alternating venues in Europe + USA)
Broadcast reach: Estimated 600+ million households worldwide
Bethpage Black, one of the most unforgiving public courses in the United States, will host golf’s most charged team competition.
The Ryder Cup is unique in elite sport: no prize money, just national and continental pride at stake - although the PGA presents each US player with around $200K to donate to their desired charity and the European team has historically received gifts from their Captains.
New York’s famously vocal crowds will no doubt add extra heat to every match, with passionate fans transforming the normally restrained prestige of golf into something closer to the atmosphere of a vibrant football match, thanks to the intense rivalry between the teams.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Dates: February - March 2026
Locations: India and Sri Lanka
Format: 20 national teams presenting the largest-ever T20 World Cup format
Matches: 55 across multiple cities and stadiums
Spectators: Approximately 1.25 million
Frequency: Biennial
Broadcast reach: Over 1.5 billion globally
India and Sri Lanka will co-host what is expected to be the most commercially successful T20 World Cup in history!
With the tournament expanded to 20 teams, fans can expect a more diverse and competitive field, including associate nations with growing cricketing pedigrees.
The tournament will be staged in iconic cricket venues from Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium to Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, combining cricket fever with the energy of two of the sport’s most obsessed nations.
The 2026 edition is set to deliver a festival atmosphere, blending high-stakes matches with the cultural vibrancy of South Asia.
Olympic Winter Games / Milano Cortina 2026
Dates: 06-22 February 2026
Locations: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with ceremonies and competitions taking place across Val di Fiemme, Livigno, Bormio, Rasen-Antholz, Valtellina, Tesero and Verona
Sports: 16 winter disciplines including alpine skiing, bobsleigh, figure skating, biathlon and ice hockey
Events: 116 medal events
Spectators: 1.7+ million expected on site
Frequency: Every 4 years
Broadcast reach: 2+ billion viewers globally
Italy’s Winter Games will blend urban sophistication with mountain grandeur.
Milan is set to deliver the glamour of the Opening Ceremony, while Cortina d’Ampezzo returns to Olympic hosting duties 70 years after first welcoming the world.
This will be the most widespread Winter Games ever, with events taking place across the Italian Alps, offering alpine speed, glacial elegance and the unique atmosphere of winter sport against one of Europe’s most scenic backdrops - before culminating in a grand Closing Ceremony hosted in the historic Roman amphitheatre in Verona.
Super Bowl LX
Date: 08 February 2026
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Format: NFL Championship Game
Spectators: Up to 70,000 in stadium
Frequency: Annual
Broadcast reach: 123+ million viewers in the US alone
Marking its 60th edition, the Super Bowl remains the single biggest annual sporting spectacle in North America.
Beyond the game itself, it’s globally recognised for its halftime show, which draws as much attention as the final score plus millions in advertising expenditure - although the performers are famously not paid a fee by the NFL.
The 2026 event will celebrate this milestone with heightened fanfare both on and off the field, as interestingly, the San Francisco 49ers (who play their home games at this very stadium) were the first major sports team to be established on the West Coast in 1946.
FIFA World Cup 2026
Dates: 11 June - 19 July 2026
Locations: 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the USA including Toronto, Vancouver, Guadalajara, Dallas, Seattle, San Francisco, Houston and Los Angeles
Teams: 48 national teams - for the first time in history (typically, it’s 32)
Matches: 104 total
Spectators: 6.5+ million expected at stadiums, making it the largest one yet
Frequency: Every 4 years
Broadcast reach: 3.5+ billion viewers globally
The first expanded-format FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in history, with 3 nations co-hosting for the first time together - the tournament will bring a festival atmosphere to participating cities and with 48 teams, the scale is unprecedented - more matches, more fans and a broader global representation than ever before.
Mexico City will host the opening matches, Dallas and Atlanta the semi-finals, with Miami setting the stage for the bronze finals, and New York New Jersey, the deciding match.
Commonwealth Games 2026
Dates: 23 July - 02 August 2026
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Sports: 10 core disciplines including track and field, swimming, boxing, weightlifting, basketball and track cycling
Nations: 74 Commonwealth countries and territories with around 3,000 athletes competing
Spectators: Estimated 500,000+
Frequency: Every 4 years
Broadcast reach: 1+ billion viewers globally
Glasgow will host a more streamlined version of the Commonwealth Games, relying on the existing infrastructure from the 2014 edition, after the state of Victoria (Australia) withdrew due to rising costs.
The city’s current world-class venues, from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome to Hampden Park, will ensure a smooth and sustainable event, minimising the need for new construction and thanks to a compensation agreement, are being partially funded by the original host.
Expect passionate crowds and an atmosphere built on tradition and community spirit - with the official mascot recently unveiled as a unicorn named Finnie!
Mediterranean Games 2026
Dates: 21 August - 03 September 2026
Location: Taranto, Italy
Sports: 23 Olympic disciplines + 2 regional sports with both individuals and teams competing
Nations: 26 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and a total of around 4,500 athletes
Spectators: Approximately 200,000+ expected
Frequency: Every 4 years
Held in the historic port city of Taranto, the Mediterranean Games celebrate both athletic excellence and cultural heritage.
This edition will underscore the powerful connection between sport and culture, as athletes compete and engage with the rich historical and artistic tapestry of the host city.
The event aims to be more than just a series of competitions - it's a celebration of the unique identity and cultural bonds uniting the Mediterranean nations, as illustrated by the iconic emblem of the three interlocking rings representing Asia, Africa and Europe who share common waters.
World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026
Dates: 11-13 September 2026
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Events: 28 across 3 days, featuring almost 400 athletes
Format: Finals-only competition across track and field events - the best of the best
Prize money: USD$10 million total
Frequency: Inaugural edition
This inaugural global athletics event condenses the drama into three consecutive action-packed nights - no heats, no qualifiers: just the most elite athletes in the world going head-to-head for medals and a share of the record-setting pot of prize money.
Budapest’s riverside stadium will become the centre of the sport for one intense weekend, aiming to attract both fans and a new audience with its high-impact format - athletics reimagined for a new era, promising an unforgettable display of talent and showmanship.
Asian Games 2026
Dates: 19 September - 04 October 2026
Location: Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
Sports: 41 disciplines including dressage, fencing, hockey, sailing, volleyball, taekwondo, skateboarding, rugby, kabaddi, athletics, basketball and gymnastics
Nations: 45 countries represented by around 15,000 athletes
Spectators: Over 3+ million expected
Frequency: Every 4 years
Japan will host Asia’s largest multi-sport event, bringing together athletes across a vast range of disciplines from athletics to cricket.
For the first time, Mixed Martial Arts will feature, with organisers intending to attract younger audiences whilst showcasing the region's sporting traditions.
A permanent Athlete's Village construction has been decided against, due to the high associated costs, and instead a cruise ship will be docked at Kinjo Pier as the main accommodation.
The Games will be a celebration of sporting talent and regional unity, drawing crowds and viewership from across the continent, marking the 3rd time that Japan has hosted the games.
Invictus Games 2027
Dates: 10-17 July 2027
Location: Birmingham, UK
Sports: Core sports typically include indoor rowing, volleyball, swimming, basketball and rugby
Nations: 25 countries
Participants: Up to 550
Spectators: 150,000+ in person
Frequency: Every 2 years
Founded by Prince Harry, the games use the power of sport to inspire recovery and aid rehabilitation.
The word "Invictus" means "unconquered," embodying the fighting spirit of the competitors and celebrating the resilience of those who have served their nations.
More than just a competition, these adaptive sports empower wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans to reclaim their purpose and build a new future beyond injury.
The Invictus Games stand as a powerful testament to the human spirit's ability to triumph over adversity, inspiring a global community with stories of courage, determination and camaraderie.
Rugby World Cup 2027
Dates: 01 October - 13 November 2027
Location: Host cities across Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane
Format: 24 national teams (expanded from 20) playing 52 matches
Spectators: Over 2.5 million
Frequency: Every 4 years
Broadcast reach: 17 million viewers globally
Australia’s Rugby World Cup will mark the first time the tournament has been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere since 2011 and the recent expansion to 24 teams reflects World Rugby’s drive to broaden the sport’s global reach, offering more opportunities for emerging nations to make their mark on the world stage.
Iconic stadiums such as Sydney’s Accor Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will form the backbone of the event.
With Australia’s proven track record in hosting major sporting spectacles, fans can expect an atmosphere that blends world-class competition with a festival of rugby culture.
To explore the best ways to experience these events - from exclusive hospitality to VIP access, and extended trip itineraries - contact us at salte@sevenaccess.com
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